The Fellowship of the Ring

Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings

Continuing the story begun in The Hobbit, this is the first part of Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, featuring an exclusive cover image from the film, the definitive text, and a detailed map of Middle-earth. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all - which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. To celebrate the release of the first of Peter Jackson's two-part film adaptation of The Hobbit, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, this first part of The Lord of the Rings is available for a limited time with an exclusive cover image from Peter Jackson's award-winning trilogy.

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Overall, the book is quite long and full of words. Some of the words are made up, and some of the words are organized as songs or poems. So if you're a word fan like I am - after all, I'm using them right now, and so are you! Heh heh. Also there's some kind of magic ring and wizards and stuff, all that is quite interesting I'm sure, I just wanted to look at all those words, hundreds of them, possibly thousands. Quite an accomplishment from Professor Tallcan.

This is the book I would want on a desert island. I first read this at age 11 and it had a profound impact on me. The writing, the sense of wonder and loss that permeates every page, the vividness of the landscape are all brilliant. Every cat I have ever had has been named after characters in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A classic of Fantasy Fiction and a must read for all who have seen the Peter Jackson film adaptation. The book tells a gripping story and while it does have some sections that could have been omitted, the entirety of the book speaks to the whole of the world that Tolkien strove to create and which stands as his greatest achievement. Tolkien continues a great story here and following Frodo through Middle Earth as he gains and loses much is worth reading at least once.

I read quite a bit of speculative and creative fiction: that is, fiction that takes place in worlds that look like our own, but are markedly different in terms of events, characters, and places. Tolkien’s invented world of Middle-earth is one example of such creative fiction that I enjoy, and have enjoyed for quite some time. My introduction to the Lord of the Rings came when a friend introduced me to the Peter Jackson films. I was awestruck with the ability to creature worlds and stories. I’ve attempted to read the books before, but have never been able to do so. Now, much older than I was then, I find myself breezing through Fellowship of the Ring, discovering myself as even more awestruck at what Tolkien accomplished with his writing.

In this book we have a world that lives and breathes, grows and changes, and of which we learn only a small portion of its history. At every turn I find myself reading about some new facet of lore, never fully explained, but only referenced, and I always want more. It seems one of the biggest complaint many readers have against this book is Tolkien’s use of poetry/song, but I find this one of the most fascinating and enchanting elements of the book. This is a part of what makes the world of Middle-earth feel so lived in and alive.

The story of hobbits, of these little and seemingly unimportant folk from the Shire, and how they meet elves, dwarves, men, and monsters, is the central theme to the story. Unlike Tolkien’s similar book, The Hobbit, the joy quickly drains from this work, and we find ourselves in the midst of war. Tolkien, however, never turns his narrative completely bleak, always managing to dangle hope in front of us; reminding us that not all things in the world are wicked and evil. There is goodness in the hearts of men, after all, even if it is easily buried and manipulated.

Fellowship of the Ring is a work of beauty and creative energy unlike any other. Part II of the book is especially engaging, drawing the reader into the events and travels of the fellowship as they attempt to unmake the dangerous Ring of Power. Many people have tried to make the One Ring a metaphor for the atomic bomb or other such things, but this seems to miss the spirit of the work itself. At its heart, The Lord of the Rings is a story about good overcoming evil. The ring itself is a small trifle, little more than a simple ring. Its danger lies in its ability to corrupt the minds of those who carry it (they need not even use it), and this, I think, is the key to the story. The ring is a thing of pure evil, no one can stand against it, but someone must destroy it. It is as though Tolkien is saying, “evil can and will corrupt the hearts of men, but we must do something to stop it!”

THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!! My family has read this book and they all said it was good, so I read it. Also if you've seen the movie, but haven't read the book, you need to read it. While the movie is good, the book is better. 5 STARS.

Describing this book is quite simply impossible. The story itself was written as six novels, with depth given to even the trees and shrubs so that the reader could really imagine what Tolkien himself was. I highly recommend this book. It is a high fantasy classic for a reason. Character development is first rate among all genres. No clear use of deus ex machina like in most fantasy stories. Every step feels full and heavy. Many parts of the story really have you believing you can no longer read another line (in a good way) while a certain character feels he can't take another step. It is filled with wisdom. Do yourself and those around you a favor and read this book. If you hate fantasy, you will love this. If you love fantasy, you will be bewildered at the amount of thought that is placed at each step, and the connection you feel with the story. ...no, the movies are not better, but they could not have been done any better to represent such a masterpiece.

'The Fellowship of the Ring' was probably the best instalment in the three-book series of 'The Lord of the Rings'. It is by far not as depressing, complicated, monotonous, and gruesome as the third book. I enjoyed reading this immensely. Legolas is my favourite character, followed by Gimli and Sam.

Quotes

'None here can do so,' said Elrond gravely. 'At least none can foretell what will come to pass, if we take this road or that. But it seems to me now clear which is the road that we must take. The westward road seems easiest. Therefore it must be shunned. It will be watched. Too often the Elves have fled that way. Now at this last we must take a hard road, a road unforeseen. There lies our hope, if hope it be. To walk into peril - to Mordor. We must send the Ring to the Fire.'

me_tis_awesome
May 01, 2016

Otho: ... I insist on seeing the will. (reads will) foiled again, and after 60 years, spoons!

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Summary

In the first installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the young hobbit Frodo Baggins is given the task of bearing the One Ring to the elf city of Rivendell. Once there, he teams up with a fellowship of men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits and begins the long, perilous journey to Mount Doom, also known as Orodruin.

Here in the first book of the Lord of the Rings we meet the fellowship of men, hobbits, an elf, a dwarf, and a wizard. Their mission is to take the one ring to be destroyed at Mt.Doom. In this first part we see how hobbits live, the chase of the ringwraiths, and meet a demonic creature deep in the mines of Moria.